Sighing, she wondered where it was all going to end. Would Vic kill her? It was the first time she had asked herself that question, but she was not surprised to realise that she didn’t really care if he did. She was past caring about anything now except the boys, the family. Though, Heaven knew, that was no way for anyone to live.
Carol was looking through the wardrobes for old clothes to give to her mum for the charity shop she worked in two days a week. She was humming as she opened boxes and studied shoes and bags, trying on clothes to see if they still fitted her expanding waistline. She was so happy with her life now that she was pregnant. It was what Benny had needed, a child to centre him, to make him grow up. Even his scary moods had not been so frequent since she had confirmed it.
So she was a happy and contented girl as she looked through her stuff and decided what she wanted and, more importantly, didn’t want.
She could hear the cleaner, Debbie, hoovering away downstairs and a little while later she brought Carol a nice cup of tea and a few biscuits. They gossiped for a while, and then she went back to sorting through the cupboards. She was absolutely content as she enjoyed her day. Never in her life had she been so happy, had so much money and respect.
Finishing her wardrobe, she decided to start on Benny’s. He was pretty good about sending stuff to her mother for the charity shop and would always give money to charities that came begging on the knocker so she had no qualms about sorting through his cupboards. She would make a pile of stuff and anything he wanted to keep he could put back later after he had looked through it.
It was a hot day and the air conditioning made her life so much easier as she pulled open drawers and sorted through the racks of clothes. Grabbing the chair from the dressing table, she climbed up and opened the cupboards at the top of the wardrobes. She began pulling out her own boxes first, and then she started to pull out all of his.
She placed all the boxes on the floor and went to make herself another cup of tea. Debbie was still there, so Carol made her one too and had a laugh before taking her own tea back up to the bedroom to resume her good works. She opened the boxes one by one, and then she noticed a funny smell. She wrinkled up her nose and traced the smell to the top of the wardrobes, in the large cupboard over Benny’s suit rail.
It seemed to be coming from a cream-coloured hatbox that he had tucked away at the back of the cupboard. Climbing on the chair once more, she leant in and gradually pulled the box towards her. It was heavier than the others and this intrigued her. A little voice was telling her to leave well alone but she was curious now and also worried that something had got inside the box and died. Perhaps they had mice? She placed the box on the floor and knelt in front of it. It was sealed with duct tape around the edges and she was suddenly unsure if she wanted to know what was in there. The smell was stronger now it was nearer to her.
She started pulling the duct tape off and, holding her breath, opened the box up. Staring up at her was a human head, its milky eyes glazed and its mouth set in a grimace. It was in the advanced stages of decomposition.
Her screams of abject terror and disgust brought her cleaner running, an act she was to regret for the rest of her life. Soon her screams were added to Carol’s and the neighbours called the police. It took them twenty minutes to get into the house, and it was a whole day before they finally left it.
Benny didn’t visit Carol in hospital or enquire about the threatened miscarriage and that told her all she needed to know.
Chapter Seventeen
‘A what!’
Garry’s voice was so full of incredulity that it made Maura want to laugh. She was sensible enough to know this was just nervous laughter, but the urge to shriek and scream with it was hard to suppress. This was so outrageous she wondered if it was really happening. It was, of course, she knew that much. She just wished it wasn’t true.
‘A head, a fucking severed head that he was keeping in his wardrobe. Don’t ask me what for, Garry, I really have no fucking idea and I don’t want to know why he was keeping it either.’
Her brother was shaking his head in consternation.
‘That is one fucking nutter.’
Maura laughed and said sarcastically, ‘No? I never would have worked that one out for meself.’
‘So what’s the score?’
‘Well, apart from poor old Carol’s screaming that brought the cleaner, the neighbours and eventually the filth, Benny is still at large. But they will come for him now.’
Garry thought for a few moments before saying seriously, ‘Can’t we say someone planted the head there?’
‘Who shall we say planted it, Gal? Alan fucking Titchmarsh?’
He started to laugh.
‘Whose head is it anyway?’
Maura shrugged.
‘I dread to think. You know Benny, could be anyone’s.’
Garry laughed once more.
‘I can’t believe we are having this conversation, can you?’
Maura shook her head.
‘It’s not funny really, Garry, is it?’
‘Depends whose head it is, don’t it?’ He was smiling again, but it was a bemused smile this time. ‘Where is he, Maura?’
‘Safe enough for the moment.’
‘Was it Tommy’s head, do you think, Maws? Perhaps he was going to give it to you for Christmas or something. You know what a fucking Loony Tunes he is.’
Maura shook her head and laughed at the absurdity of what he was saying even though with Benny it was completely feasible.
‘It was in an advanced state of decomposition, so no, it wasn’t Tommy. More’s the pity.’
Garry shook his head in wonderment.
‘He is fucking Radio Rental that boy. I despair of him, I really do. Does Muvver know about it yet?’
Maura shrugged.
‘It hit the early-evening news on the telly so I assume she has an inkling. I ain’t heard anything from her, though.’
‘I’ll drive over and see how she is, eh?’
‘Lee’s probably there by now, I’ll come with you.’
As they were getting in the car Garry started to laugh again. There were two plain-clothes policemen outside and he shouted to them merrily, ‘My nephew has given a whole new meaning to the expression giving head, hasn’t he?’
He roared at his own wit.
‘Leave it out, Garry, for fuck’s sake.’
Maura was annoyed now; this was almost too absurd to take seriously though she knew they would have to. The two young coppers were terrified and it showed.
‘Leave them alone, Gal, they’re hardly out of nappies.’ She got in the car and carried on talking. ‘They think he’s a serial killer apparently, or so they said on the news. He’s keeping trophies, a shrink said. You can always rely on ITV to make the most of it, can’t you? The house is being torn apart as we speak so let’s hope there ain’t nothing else there to incriminate him or us. Maybe they’ll find a whole herd of heads!’
Garry shrugged.
‘Don’t matter either way, we own the Old Bill looking into it.’
‘Do we, Gal?’
He could hear the surprise in her voice and grinned.
‘Put it this way, Maws, we fucking do now. I’ll find out who’s on it and we’ll take it from there. Might do the boy good, though, a sojourn in nick. Might fucking teach him a lesson. Shall I get him put on remand?’
Maura sighed once more; she could follow his logic.
‘We’ll see, eh?’
He started up the car and waved to the two plain-clothes, one of whom waved back nervously. As they drove away it occurred to Maura that one good thing to come out of all this was that their enemies would realise just what they were dealing with. She wanted to see Vic so badly and end this shit. It was all getting out of hand now, and she was tired of it all.
‘Get him on remand, Gal. You’re right, it might do the little fucker good.’
Her brother grinned, his face shining with glee.
; ‘My thoughts entirely, Maura. See how he likes grown-up bird.’
‘Talking of birds, I’ll have to go and see Carol as well.’
Garry yawned, bored now.
‘Rather you than me, girl. She is a prat. This is all her fucking fault, she should have left well alone. Typical fucking woman, got to stick her oar in where it ain’t wanted.’
‘Be fair, Garry, she couldn’t have known.’
‘That ain’t the point, is it? It’s her who’s put the finger on us all, ain’t it? Can you even imagine the shit this is going to cause? I hope he takes her fucking head off next.’
Maura didn’t answer him and they drove to Notting Hill in silence. She wouldn’t want to be Carol at this moment for all the tea in China, she knew that much. Benny was no doubt blaming her as well. He was like her brothers, good at putting the blame elsewhere. It was what they all did to a different degree. She couldn’t help wondering why he had kept the head for so long. Did he take it out and admire it? The thought made her feel sick inside but she wouldn’t put it past him. She wouldn’t put anything past him now.
Sarah and Carla sat together in the kitchen and sipped tea as they tried to come to terms with what Benny had done this time. Lee sat on the stairs and answered the phone, which seemed to be ringing off the hook. They were all in a daze.
When Roy came in Lee smiled at him but his brother ignored him, walking straight into the kitchen.
‘All right, Mum. Maura here yet?’
He was warning his daughter and they all knew it.
Sarah shook her head slowly.
‘He’s as mad as a March hare, isn’t he?’ she said.
Roy nodded.
‘So it would seem, Muvver. I’ve spoken to him – he seems to think it’s hilarious.’
Sarah tutted under her breath.
‘How’s Carol? The shock must have been terrible.’
‘In hospital. They rushed her to the Special Baby Unit at Basildon. It don’t sound too good.’ He wiped a hand over his face in a gesture of anger and hopelessness. ‘I could fucking murder him. Janine always said he wasn’t right in the head and she should have known. She was a fucking nut-nut and all.’
Sarah was amazed at his words. Since her death he had seemed to put his wife on a pedestal. Now he was once more acting as if she was the origin of all their ills.
‘Roy, son, calm yourself down. Get the brandy from the front room. We could all do with some.’
He rolled his eyes in consternation at his mother.
‘Fucking brandy, Muvver? A fucking handful of Es in your tea wouldn’t make this lot fucking better. The filth will be all over us like a rash. I’ve already got them sitting outside my drum, and they’re out there now.’
He waved a hand in the general direction of the front door.
Sarah sighed.
‘That’s nothing new, Roy, they’ve watched this house for years. I used to make them cups of tea at one time.’
‘I don’t think cups of tea will appease this lot, Mum. The little fucker he is.’
Sarah nodded and said spiritedly, ‘The shame and degradation I feel because of that little bastard! How will I hold me head up with the neighbours? At the church, more importantly?’
Roy was short and to the point.
‘The same way you always did, Mum, by giving them a fucking hefty bit of wedge. If anyone can buy their way into Heaven it will be you.’
Never had Roy spoken to his mother like that and her face showed how hurt she was at his words.
Lee was standing in the doorway and said sharply, ‘Hold up, Roy, that’s enough of that talk. Can’t you see how upset she is?’
‘Upset? Is that what you call it?’
Roy’s voice was incredulous.
‘You are over-reacting,’ Lee said. ‘This will all be sorted by the morning. Leave Mum be now, she’s overwrought.’
Roy turned to his brother and, walking towards him, bellowed in his face: ‘She is overwrought? What about me? He’s my son. A fucking lunatic I’ve bred! My God, you all act as if this is fucking normal or something. He is a mad cunt and we all know that but it suits us to have him in the family, don’t it? Gives us that extra bit of rep we need. The Ryans. The fucking mad Ryans.
‘Well, this is too much even for me. A head in a hat box in his wardrobe? Sleeping in that room with that girl having his baby, and all the time he knew there was a head sitting in a fucking box, decomposing and stinking the fucking place out – and you think I am over-reacting? Are you having a fucking laugh or what?’
Carla started crying.
‘Stop it, Dad, you’re frightening me.’
Roy looked at his daughter.
‘I tell you something, Mum, you should have been done like a fucking cat after Michael and Geoffrey. Instead you still churned out little nutters for the old man and now we’re turning out some of our own. You are responsible for about fifty per cent of the violent crime in London only you are too stupid to fucking see it. All the people who work for us, the whores, the drug dealers – you inadvertently made all that happen. So you’d better give a big donation this time, love. It’s gonna cost you dear for peace of mind and a bed in Heaven after this lot.’
Sarah was white-faced with grief at her son’s words. Lee, seeing his mother’s hurt, lashed out at Roy without a second’s thought and caught him a blinder on the chin. Roy went down like a sack of potatoes and Carla’s screaming was all that Garry and Maura could hear as they let themselves into the house.
Garry looked at her and said merrily, ‘Not another head, surely?’
Maura sighed once more and said casually, ‘I fucking hope not, Gal.’
They walked into the pandemonium of the kitchen and, Maura being Maura, she quickly saw the score. Taking her mother by the arm she walked her from the room. This was one time, she decided, they could sort it out for themselves.
‘I’ll pack you a bag, Mum. Come home with me for a few days, eh?’
Sarah nodded, unable to speak she was so upset by Roy’s words.
Maura hugged her tightly.
‘I know how you feel, Mum. I feel the same. It’s a wake-up call, ain’t it?’
Sarah nodded.
For the first time in years she was genuinely glad to see her daughter in her home. And for the first time in years Maura was genuinely glad that she was there.
Abul and Benny were stoned and at the laughing at anything stage.
‘There’s another head in the garage.’
‘You are joking, Benny!’
Abul’s voice was heavy with shock.
‘Well, you know what they say, Abul . . . two heads are better than one.’
Abul was cracking up with laughter now.
‘Stop it, Benny, me guts hurt.’
‘Don’t laugh your head off, mate, I’m in enough trouble as it is.’
This started them off once more. They were in absolute stitches as they tried to roll another joint.
‘So you don’t know who it was then?’
Benny scratched his head in a parody of a cartoon character thinking.
‘Nope!’
Abul knew he was lying but didn’t say anything.
‘You’re fucking mad.’
Benny nodded now, seriously.
‘I will not dispute that observation. I have been told the very same thing by people with medical qualifications, and who am I to challenge the medical establishment?’
‘Shall I get the sandwiches from the car?’
Benny shook his head.
‘Nah, we’ll go and eat out, shall we?’
Abul shook his head.
‘That’s not a good idea.’
Benny grinned.
‘I know. But if we go Ilford way we can eat at your uncle’s place. I fancy a nice curry and rice.’
He could see Abul wasn’t happy but didn’t care.
‘Come on, I’ll roll us a nice kinger to smoke in the car. Prime skunk.’
‘The family won’t
be happy.’
Benny shrugged.
‘I had a head in my wardrobe, a very handsome head actually, so I think going out for a quick meal will be pretty low down on my scale of things not to do, don’t you, Abul?’
‘You’re in charge, Benny.’
He sighed happily.
‘If Carol, that nosy stupid twat, loses my baby, I will fucking Muller her and I mean it. If she had left well alone . . .’
He was getting angry and Abul knew that, dope or no dope, Benny could still lose it.
‘Come on, Ben, she didn’t do it deliberately, did she? I bet she got a fucking fright.’
Benny was laughing again.
‘Not half as much as that ponce did when I cut his head off!’ He jumped up from the sofa. ‘Come on, get a move on, I’m starving.’
Abul followed him from the house. This was freaky even by Benny Ryan standards. But if he wanted a curry, a curry he would have. Benny always got what he wanted, that was half his trouble.
Billy Mills was with Jack when the telephone rang and Jack put on Sky News. The presenter was going through the alleged role the Ryans played in London gangland life, from their control of the ice cream and hot dog vans through to their various clubs, pubs, and other establishments.
The head in the wardrobe had caught the attention of the nation. There was nothing else in particular going on and it couldn’t have been found at a better time in journalistic terms. They were having a field day.
Jack watched with his henchmen and felt a trickle of fear go through his body. Billy shook his head in disbelief.
‘The worst of it all is, Jack, knowing Benny, the bloke probably cut him up driving or something. I bet it wasn’t over something serious. Benny is a fucking nutter, everyone knows that, but he is a good mate. Me and him go back yonks. I remember a few years ago he was only a kid and he cut up an old lag in Silvertown because he thought he had said something derogatory about him.’
Billy was making a point; he had always got on well with Benny. He had drunk with him socially. He was giving Jack a quick warning without having to make it too obvious.
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